Aussies planning to travel over Easter will pay around 24 per cent more for flights than other times of the year, but there are still some high-value destinations that won’t break your nest egg.
“Easter is naturally one of the most popular times of the year to get away. But due to school holidays and many choosing to take annual leave, prices are expectedly higher than other times of the year,” says Skyscanner Australia travel expert Emily Cairns.
“However, our data shows that there’s still some great deals to be taken advantage of, including to Aussie favourites like Bangkok and Manila.
“There are many reasons why these destinations could be cheaper at Easter, and one may be that most Australians avoid long haul travel over this period due to it being a traditionally shorter break. But with a holiday hack this year that extends this period from only three leave days to a whopping ten, Easter 2019 is a great opportunity to explore longer haul destinations, all the while saving money!”
Many Australians will take advantage of the Easter holiday hack that turns three days of annual leave into a 10-day vacation over Easter and ANZAC Day.
However, this holiday period is notorious for being expensive. Still, some destinations are surprisingly cheaper over the Easter break compared to the rest of the year.
According to Skyscanner, the top value destinations to keep in mind for Easter holidays include:
- Manila – estimated savings of 29 per cent
- Beijing – estimated savings of 19 per cent
- Shanghai – save 18 per cent
- Kathmandu – save 18 per cent
- Ho Chi Minh City – save seven per cent
- Bangkok – save six per cent
- Kuala Lumpur – save five per cent
Travellers can save up to $200 on airfares when flying to the Philippines capital of Manila – a destination featured amongst the top 10 destinations of the year in Skyscanner’s Trends Report 2018.
Taipei, the Taiwan capital renowned for friendly, social culture and bustling night markets, offers similar savings, and is around 15 per cent cheaper than other times of the year.
There are even more great Easter flight deals to take advantage, such as Sydney to Los Angeles from $819 return, and Melbourne to Auckland from $399 return.
Skyscanner’s data also revealed the hotspots that see significant price hikes, where Aussies could pay up to 30 per cent more than other travel periods.
“It’s not surprising to see prices rise for interstate and New Zealand trips, particularly as many Australians will likely be choosing short-haul travel or travelling domestically to visit family,” said Ms Cairns.
“There may be no avoiding these influxes if you are tied to visiting a particular destination that is popular. However, if you have the luxury of considering alternative destinations, then there are some other great options where you could even save a buck.”
New Zealand and interstate flights will come at a premium, with key culprits being Christchurch, Queenstown and Hamilton Island, all seeing price rises of more than 15 per cent.
Bali is also expensive over this period, with airfares often increasing by up to 30 per cent.
Destinations to avoid over the Easter break include:
- Christchurch – estimated hikes of 20 per cent
- Queenstown – estimated hikes of 17 per cent
- Hamilton Island – estimated hikes of 16 per cent
- Ballina – estimated hikes of 13 per cent
- Port Vila – estimated hikes of 10 per cent
- Gold Coast – estimated hikes of 10 per cent
- Tokyo – estimated hikes of six per cent
- Hobart – estimated hikes of five per cent
- Cairns – estimated hikes of four per cent
- Perth – estimated hikes of three per cent
- Sunshine Coast – estimated hikes of three per cent
However, early bookers can still reap the cheaper flights. With less than nine weeks to Easter, Skyscanner says that booking now can still result in savings of up to 10 per cent on average – meaning more spending money when on holidays!
Check out Skyscanner’s list of high-value Easter destinations at www.skyscanner.com.au
Do you travel during Easter, or do you stay at home?
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Where to escape the Easter crowds
SE Asia should be on your radar
